Inducible clindamycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus: Reason for treatment failure.

Emergence of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) has left us with very few therapeutic alternatives available to treat staphylococcal infection. The widespread use of macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) antibiotics has led to an increase in number of staphylococcal strains acquiring resistance to MLSB antibiotics. This study was done to investigate the infections by hospital and community acquired “erythromycin- induced clindamycin resistant” strains or D-test positives of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) in a hospital. Three hundred isolates of S.aureus were subjected to routine antibiotic susceptibility testing including Cefoxitin (30µg) by modified disc diffusion method. Inducible resistance to clindamycin in S.aureus was tested by D-test as per CLSI guidelines. Among 300 S.aureus isolates, 114 (38%) were methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 186 (62%) methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Forty one (13.67%) isolates showed induced clindamycin resistance, 49(16.33%) showed constitutive resistance and 94 (31.33%) showed the MS phenotype. Inducible resistance and constitutive resistance were found to be higher in MRSA compared to MSSA (22.81%, 23.68% and 8.1%, 11.8% respectively). D-test should be included as a part of routine antibiotic susceptibility testing to detect induced clindamycin resistance to prevent treatment failure.

Study of genital lesions.

A total of one hundred patients (75 males and 25 females) age ranged from 17-65 years with genital lesions attending the STD clinic of Bowring and LC Hospitals Bangalore constituted the study group. Based on clinical features, the study groups were classified as syphilis (39), chancroid (30), herpes genitalis (13), condylomato lato (9), LGV (7t condylomata acuminata (5), genital scabies (3), granuloma inguinole (2) and genital candidiasis (1). In 68% microbiological findings confirmed the clinical diagnosis. Of the 100 cases 13% and 2% were positive for HIV antibodies and HbsAg respectively.

Keratomycosis due to Fusarium oxysporum--a case report.

A 30 year old muslim housewife presented with foreign body sensation to start with and later noticed white patch in the left eye with blurred vision since 3 days. KOH preparation of corneal scrapings revealed fungal elements. Culture isolate is identified as Fusarium oxysporum by standard methods. Fusarium oxysporum causing keratomycosis is reported for its rarity.

Prevalence of nonfermenters in clinical specimens.

One hundred and thirty three non fermenting gram negative bacilli isolated out of 625 different clinical specimens were identified and characterised. Samples were exudate from chronic suppractive otits media (341), diabetic foot (117) wound (116) and blood (51). Of these isolates Pseudomonas aeruginosa 105(78.94%) predominated followed by Acinetobacter sp 8 [6.1%], Pseudomonas putrifaciens 6(4.5%), Flavobacterium sp 6(4.5%), Xanthomonas maltophilia 5(3.75%), Alkaligenes sp 3 (2.25). 31 (23.30%) were resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Amikacin 85 (63.90%) was found to be more effective than fluoroquinolones (27.8-48.12%).